Cleaning gun



May 6, 1947. M. c. THOMPSON CLEANING GUN Filed Feb. 7, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet l A Snvenfor:

MAX C. .ffoM/Jfo/v,

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M. c. THOMPSON 2,420,109

CLEANING GUN Filed Feb. '7, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 Ruwi :A

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Patented May 6, 1947 UNl'iED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLEANING GUN Max C.Thompson, South Pasadena, Calif.

Application February 7, 1944, Serial No. 521,448

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to a means for atomizng cleaning liquids of thetype Shown in my Patents Nos. 2,231,782, dated February l1, 1941, and2,290,718, dated July 21, 1942, and is particularly adapted to be usedin cleaning automobiles, trucks, busses, planes, and other vehicles.

The portable cleaning gun of my invention has a chamber adapted to holda concentrated cleaning liquid and is adapted to be connected by hosesto a fluid or fluids under pressure. Cleaning liquid is pumped into astream of fluid or iluids passing through the gun, Suitable controlmeans are provided whereby a spray of fluid or fluids and cleaningliquid or a stream of fluid or fluids without any cleaning liquid may beforced from and regulated at the gun.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable cleaning gun whichis economical to manufacture and maintain, and easy to ll, operate andclean.

A further object of my invention is to provide a portable cleaning gunwith means for pumping the cleaning liquid from the reservoir assemblyof the gun into the uid stream passing through the gun.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for forcing thecleaning liquid from the reservoir into the iluid stream passing throughthe gun without subjecting the fluid in the reservoir to pressuresgreatly in excess of atmospheric pressure or to pressures considerablylower than atmospheric pressure.

My invention has many other objects, advantages, and features, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the followingdescription Where I shall outline two forms of my invention, which Ihave selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forminga part of the present specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cleaning gun of my invention, partlyin section.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the cleaning gun taken on the line3 3 of Figure 2.

The numeral S indicates a body member having a handle I0, a longitudinalsection II, and a reservoir supporting portion I2. The handle I6 1sprovided with internal threads. Hf which is adapted to be connected to awater hose I4, a gasket i 5, and a water passageway I6. The handle I!)is also provided with an air passageway I'I and an internal thread I8which is adapted to be connected to a valve I9 and an air hose 2U.

The longitudinal section II is provided with a valve chamber 2l, theouter end of which is threaded as indicated at 22, an opening 23 whichconnects the valve chamber 22 to a mixing chamber 24, the outer end ofwhich mixing chamber 24 is provided with internal threads 25 and a boss26.

The water passageway I6 communicates with the valve chamber 2l and theflow of Water through the gun is adapted to be regulated by means of avalve 21 in the valve chamber 2l. The valve 2l is held in place in thebody 9 by means of a bushing `28. The threads 29 of the valve engage theinternal threads .39 of the bushing 28. The bushing 28 is also providedwith external threads 3l which screw into the threads 22 of thelongitudinal section II. The valve 21 is provided with a valve stem 32having a handle 33. Valve packing gland 34 is maintained in place aroundthe valve stem 32 by means of a cap 35. The handle 33 controls theaction of the valve 2l by moving the valve face 36 toward and away fromthe valve seat 31 which surrounds the opening 23.

The longitudinal section II is also provided with an air passagewaywhich communicates with air passageway II and which is sealed with ascrew plug 4I. Air passageway 4I! communicates with air passageway 42which is sealed at its lower end by means of a screw plug 43. The airpassageway 42 communicates with an air passageway 44 in the boss 2B andair tube 45 which is threaded into the boss 26 as indicated at 46. Theow of air through the air passageways I1, 40, 42, 44 and 45 iscontrolled by means of the valve I9. A cleaning liquid reservoir 41having an opening 48 is adapted to be connected to the reservoirsupporting portion I2 of the body 3.

Means are provided to pump cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquidreservoir 4'! into the mixing chamber 24. As an instance of thisarrangement, the lower part of the longitudinal section of the gun body9 is provided with a pump assembly in order to pump cleaning liquid fromthe liquid reservoir 4l into the mixing chamber 24.

A longitudinal bore 50 and a larger longitudinal bore are provided. Apiston 52 having fluid seals 53 is adapted to be positioned in the innerend of the bore 5| and is adapted to be operated by means of the rod 54and the lever action trigger 55, acting against the action of the spring56.

The boss 51 is provided with a bore 58 and a threaded counterbore 59into which is threaded a bushing 69 having a tube 6| depending therefrominto the liquid reservoir. A ball check valve 62 is positioned on avalve seat 63 provided on the upper surface of the bushing 60. A spring64 in the bore 58 is positioned above the ball check valve 62. Apassageway 65 connects the longitudinal bore or pump cylinder 5| withthe tube 6|.

An elongated plug 66 is threaded into the outer end of the bore 5|,which plug is provided with sealing means 61, a longitudinal passageway68 and a passageway B9. The passageway 69' may be provided with a checkvalve (not shown) and is adapted to connect with the mixing chamber 24by means of passageway 10.

Means are also provided to atomize the mix- /ture as it leaves themixing chamber 24, which means may be the same as that shown in myabove-mentioned patents. A nipple 85 is threaded into the threadedportion 25 of longitudinal member A nozzle member 86 is adapted to bethreaded onto the nipple 85. The nozzle member is provided with acentral bore 81 and with a plurality of openings 88 extending from thecentral bore 81 to the periphery of the nozzle member. The end portionof the nozzle member is beveled as indicated at 89 and is provided witha center cylindrical recess 90 with the wall delining the recessprovided with a plurality of slots 9|. The slots 9| are directedtangentially with the outer wall of the slots substantially tangent tothe cylindrical recess 90. The member 86 is also provided with ashoulder 92 and a pressure seal packing ring 93 is adapted to be placedagainst said shoulder. The intermediate portion 91|V of the nozzlemember 86 is threaded and a cap member 95 having threads 96 is adaptedto be threaded thereon.

The outer end of the cap 95 is frusto-conical in shape and is providedwith a discharge opening 91 and with a beveled portion 98 correspondingto the beveled portion 89 of the nozzle member 86.

The cleaning gun is adapted to be operated as follows:

A supply of cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning liquid reservoir41 after which the reservoir is connected to the reservoir supportingportion. The air and water hoses connected to the cleaning gun are thenturned on. The water valve 21 is partially opened and the air valve I9is turned wide open. The cap95 is adjusted to the .proper position togive the desired spray. As the cap 95 is moved inwardly less of themixture is free to pass around the outer beveled end 89 so that as thecap 95 is moved inwardly a finer spray is obtained.

In order to spray a cleaning solution on the object to be washed, `thetrigger 55 is retracted, which by means of rod 54 forces the piston 52to the left against the action of the spring 5S, forcing cleaning liquidfrom the pump cylinder 5| through the passageways lili, 69 and 10 intothe mixing chamber 24. When the trigger 55 is reinder 5 I. Theatmospheric pressure being greater than the pressure in the pumpcylinder 5| forces 4 cleaning liquid through tube 6|, lifting ball checkvalve 62 against the operation of the spring 64 into the pump cylinder5|.

After the cleaning mixture is sprayed on the object to be cleaned, thetrigger 55 is released. The valves I9 and 21 are then turned ofi and thecleaning mixture is rubbed with a rag or mit. The valves I9 and 21 areturned wide open, the cap 95 is moved outwardly to give a straighter andmore forceful stream of air and water in order to rinse the object.After the object is completely rinsed, the air and water valves areturned oli, although the rinsing operation may be eiiected by means ofwater alone.

One of the important advantages of my invention is that pumping means isprovided for pumping the` cleaning liquid from the reservoir into thefluid stream passing through the gun without subjecting the liquid inthe reservoir to pressures varying substantially from atmosphericpressure. The advantages of this construction are many, some of thembeing that less corrosion takes place, in enabling the reservoir to beconstructed of lighter non-ferrous metal, the reservoir is more easilyremoved from the body of the gun in that pressure does not have to bereleased, and in that a more positive control is provided with respectto the amount of cleaning liquid forced into the mixing chamber 24.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the uses, advantages, and operation of my invention will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains. While I have described the forms of my invention which I nowconsider to be the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that the forms shown are merely illustrative and that theinvention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but isto be accorded the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cleaning gun comprising a portable body member, a cleaning liquidreservoir attached thereto, a mixing chamber in said body member,

valved means for supplying fluid to said mixing chamber, an atomizingdischarge nozzle in open communication with said mixing chamber, a pumpcylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a passageway leadingfrom said reservoir to said cylinder, a separate passageway leading fromsaid cylinder to said mixing chamber, said separate passageway being ofrestricted cross sectional area for at least a portion of its length,means for moving said piston in a direction to draw cleaning liquid fromsaid reservoir into said cylinder, means for selectively moving saidpiston in a direction to discharge cleaning liquid from said cylinderthrough said separate restricted passageway into said mixing chamberwhereby to eject at will an atomized spray of iiuid containing cleaningliquid or one free therefrom.

2. A cleaning gun comprising a portable body member, a cleaning liquidreservoir attached thereto, a mixing chamber in said body member, valvedmeans for supplying fluid to said mixing chamber, an atomizing dischargenozzle in open communication with said mixing chamber, a pump cylinder,a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a passageway leading from saidreservoir to said cylinder, a separate passageway leading from saidcylinder to said mixing chamber, said separate passageway being ofrestricted cross sectional area for at least a portion of its length,spring means for moving said piston in a direction to draw cleaningliquid from said reservoir into said cylinder, manually operated meansfor selectively moving said piston against the action 6 REFERENCES CITEDThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Thompson July 21, 1942 GullifordJuly 3, 1906 Heimburger Feb. 9, 1943 Fox Apr. 20, 1943 Girard Apr. 7,1925

